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Post by Kilted Cossack on Sept 19, 2011 3:33:33 GMT
Hey, guys, has anyone paid attention to the Windlass Steelcraft's sub-brand Cobra Steel? You can check them out on KOA's tactical sword page here: www.kultofathena.com/swords-modern.asp Elheru Alan brought them to my attention when he mentioned the kopis as a quasi-facsimile of a yataghan. I have to admit, I don't have anything from Cobra Steel, but my first two "sword like" purchases (I hasten to say not SLO!) were the Windlass Qama and the Windlass Kindjal, and I think both of them pretty much rock. Sure, the horn and wood grips, and the grip studs, don't exactly scream tactical, but both of them were bargains (and remain so), and both of them are cutting little so-and-sos, especially the qama. (Gee, a wide flat blade cuts well? Who knew?) They're not fancy, they're not acid-spattered, they don't have any biohazard logo . . . but at first blush, they're attractive. They fall into what I've always considered the "Windlass niche" based on what I've read about the short Windlass blades, and my own experience with the qama, the kindjal, and my American Revolutionary War Saber (which I turned, of course, into a shashka, and which had good heat treatment, held an edge, and was mad flexible). Just thought I'd throw this out for comment.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Sept 19, 2011 3:43:09 GMT
Hey, Kilted. A few of our members have bought the Kindjal (one of 3 Cobra Steels on my list) and have liked it. I recall one member saying he tossed the empty box his came in into the air and just kinda swung at it and was surprised that he'd cut it in half. I'll see if I can find the exact topic this was posted in, but it leads me to believe that the Cobra Steel line is quite nice for such an inexpensive price, though the aesthetics (the molded grips, mostly) may not appeal to everyone. EDIT: Here's the link for the two mini-reviews I mentioned.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Sept 19, 2011 17:42:02 GMT
I definitely want the Kindjal at some point, it's actually on my birthday list. Kind of coming up short for money for it, though... or my wife is anyway... doesn't help that my birthday is Sunday! (Anybody wanna commission me for anything and pay, oh, about $20 up front...? I kid) Seriously though, I understand that these are pretty... minimalist, kinda bare-bones, a little on the shoddy side. Functional enough though and you get a lot of blade for under $60; when I get one (not if, at those prices I can't resist), I'll almost certainly re-grip it and make a new scabbard, then that'll be one hell of a kindjal for $60 ^_^
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Post by darius6716 on Sept 19, 2011 21:41:20 GMT
I actually have the Cobra Steel Kopis and I like it. Not bad for 55 bucks and it already comes with an edge. It's very light, very quick, and fairly comfortable to grip. The sheath is kind of a pain and I mean that literally ( kinda stabbed myself trying to get it in one time) you have to really pay attention when you re-sheathe. Also there is no distal taper at all, and the edge has a secondary bevel. But all in all for 55 bucks i wasn't complaining. It's a very quick and fun little sword.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Sept 20, 2011 3:09:18 GMT
Mad spabs, dude! (Spabs was our Anglo-Russian-DevilDog abbreviation for Spasibo, or regular Russian for 'thanks.')
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Sept 20, 2011 3:14:19 GMT
It REALLY bugs me that the Cobra Steel kindjal more resembled the Windlass qama than the Windlass kindjal, but hey, whatcha gonna do? I've got the vendor sharpened qama, and it's a cutting beast. (Get the unsharpened qama, then sharpen it----that's $20 in your pocket right there!)
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Sept 20, 2011 3:16:06 GMT
Oh yeah, there's one of these in my future. Hey, I've been looking at Zombie Tools faux-yats, Tinker's tac short sword (which is a kopis or falcata or yat by another name, although with Tinker Goodness In Every Slash), and there's this gorgeous little tactical kopis floating around for about sixty bucks? What am I, crazy? (Don't answer that, everyone already knows.)
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Sept 20, 2011 3:22:19 GMT
No worries, my friend; I'm after the Kinjdal, Lakonian, and the Wakizashi from this series, so I'm always on the lookout for any info I can find on them.
As for the CS kindjal resembling the qama more than the Russian Kindjal, I think that's on account of that shape being more common to kindjali than the curved shape (but I'm with you there; I personally prefer the curved one, which is why the RK is the only blade on my wishlist that has been there since I put it there about 3 years ago). A quick Google image search of "kindjal" turns up dozens of the straight variety with only a few of the curved, but that's probably because the curved was a Red Army model, kinda like the differences between shashka in our shashka thread.
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Post by Bogus on Sept 20, 2011 3:47:04 GMT
The kindjal looks like it'd be a good substitute for an inexpensive gladius, it's on my list to eventually get.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Sept 20, 2011 3:50:28 GMT
Well that'll teach me to rely on KOA! I had no idea there was a Cobra Steel Wak, but heck yeah, it makes the list as well. Plainer all around than the equivalent Hanwei tac wak, but also 1/2 the price!
As for the Windlass Russian Kindjal, it seems from a cursory internet search to be more of a 1907 Bebut . . . but I couldn't swear to it!
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Sept 20, 2011 4:06:13 GMT
Haha, I didn't know about it until Jeff mentioned it was on Atlanta Cutlery. Now I'm anxiously waiting for KoA to pick it up; I mean, if they can bring the price down 5-7$ with the rest and have their stellar service, it's practically a steal.
Well, the 1907 Bebut was a military issued piece, which is why I referred to it as a Red Army model; it's easier than referencing obscure regiments (at least, obscure to me).
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Sept 20, 2011 16:44:48 GMT
In the spirit of (friendly!) nitpickery, I hasten to point out that there just weren't no Red Army at that time. And then he walked away, preening. But honestly, I'm still fond of Windlass, like I said, in certain niches. If I had to make a cut on a bottle (say, to save the universe from Borg domination, or to spend an afternoon hanging out with Lundemo, Tinker, Trim and a few bottles of whiskey), I'd make the cut with my Windlass qama----secondary bevel and all. I think the Cobra Steel kindjal's blade is probably closer to the standard, but I personally dig on the wider (phatbastardish) blade of the qama.
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